sdbourqu
 
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Public Radio Story About Phoenix Sirens

Tue Oct 20, 2020 5:21 pm

Hello!
I'm the Arizona public radio reporter who reached out a few months ago looking for info about Phoenix's abandoned siren system. Thankfully, members of this board really helped me tell this story - including TBoltManiac who was kind enough to let me come see him set off his Thunderbolt.

Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

https://kjzz.org/content/1627950/parts- ... collectors

Taterworks
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Re: Public Radio Story About Phoenix Sirens

Tue Oct 20, 2020 10:20 pm

This story leaves me slightly cold. While it brings recognition to collectors of old air raid sirens, it also promotes individual cell phone warnings as the way forward, when these systems have numerous shortcomings and their own problems with reliability - problems which are not shared by sirens which broadcast sound over a several-mile area without discriminating.

In the Midwest, sirens are still the preferred method of warning people who are outside to approaching dangerous weather such as tornados or straight-line winds like those that accompany the "derecho" storm that Iowa recently experienced. They are also required in the vicinity of nuclear power stations or military weapons depots that contain stockpiles of chemical weapons. Sirens don't require you to install an app on your phone, so there are no privacy concerns, and the public doesn't need to do anything to begin receiving alerts. Siren warnings are accessible to all, regardless of income or housing status, and they don't depend on a person to maintain a charge on their phone's battery at all times - helpful in a world where some are starting to shed their cell phones for some outings, going "off-the-grid", to avoid the constant tracking that occurs, or the constant reminders of work and social life. If you don't have your phone, or if it's not charged or turned on, you can still get a siren warning if you are outdoors and near a siren - typical in most American cities. Sirens provide an important additional layer of public warning protection, so they are still manufactured, and still being installed to this day.

Also of note: Testing of sirens is not just entertainment - it performs a function, by lubricating motors and gearboxes, clearing away corrosion from moving parts, and providing an opportunity to check equipment to make sure it is in working order, and address problems when they appear. It also educates the public on a regular basis about the sound of the sirens, so that they can have a preparedness mindset.

This is an interesting story, but I think there is more to the story in educating the public about the benefits of siren warning systems - even in the present day.
Last edited by Taterworks on Sat Oct 24, 2020 2:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Ohio_Man
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Re: Public Radio Story About Phoenix Sirens

Wed Oct 21, 2020 3:18 am

Cool story sdbourqu.
21 Y.O. Student welder.

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